Olivia Munn recently shared a relatable parenting moment during a family trip to New York City, where she found herself on solo duty while her partner, John Mulaney, performed on Broadway. The actress, who has been open about her breast cancer journey since her March 2024 diagnosis, revealed how a challenging moment with her three-year-old son brought her to tears.
“My three-year-old hit his limit,” Munn told Jenna Bush Hager during their conversation. “It was screaming, crying, and saying things that hurt my feelings. Then he didn’t want me with my daughter because of jealousy—I just broke down crying in a way I never had before. I was so distraught.” Despite the emotional moment, Munn found perspective in gratitude. “God willing, we get to keep working and moving around like this forever,” she said. “Every time there’s a breakdown or a tantrum, it just makes me laugh now.”
The 44-year-old admitted she sometimes has to turn away to hide her laughter, not wanting to encourage the behavior but still finding joy in the chaos. Jenna, a mother of three, empathized, sharing her own experiences with her “wild” kids—Mila, 11, Poppy, 9, and Hal, 5. She reflected on advice from fellow mom Molly Shannon about embracing the teenage years with understanding rather than frustration.
Munn, who compared transitioning from one child to two as “landing on Mars,” said people often warn her about the bittersweet reality of children growing more independent. Jenna related to this, recalling a moment when her eldest, Mila, wanted to trick-or-treat with friends instead of family. “At first, I was like, ‘How dare you?'” Jenna laughed. “But then I realized—I won’t be in all their core memories, and that’s okay. We have to raise them to be confident in their own lives.” Still, she added with a smile, “But I’m kind of still her bestie.”
The heartfelt conversation between the two moms highlighted the messy, emotional, and beautiful journey of parenthood—where even the toughest moments can shift into reminders of how lucky they are.
